After Zhu Shiliang left, no one rushed to leave. Although the office was dark, there were two desk lamps on, so everyone could still see each other clearly.
"Old Shen, what do you think?" Yu Shui asked Shen Yanming.
"What do you mean by 'how you see it'? Just do what you're supposed to do, and be obedient. Isn't that what you said?"
"I was the one who said it. I just couldn't say too much in front of them." Yu Shui awkwardly touched his nose.
Shen Yanming nodded, "But what we need to do now is this: don't meddle in other people's business, and do our job well."
Okay, let's all go early next Monday and try to be near the neighborhood around 7 a.m.
Joan and I went to the guard post to get tents and coal stoves. We don't know when we'll get there.
If it gets late, please look around for a suitable place to pitch your tent, and greet any guests who arrive.
“If that’s the case, I estimate I’ll arrive earlier than you. I’ll leave at 6:30 and get there a little after 7,” Yu Shui said.
“In that case, you will be in charge of the keys and the list. If the guard team is too large and the procedures are complicated, Joan and I may have to be delayed for a while.”
Yu Shui nodded, "Don't worry, I guarantee I'll complete the mission!"
Others also agreed to the arrangement.
"By the way, we also need to prepare a table and a few chairs. Can you take care of that?" Shen Yanming looked at Cui Xian, Li Yinhe, and Chen Qing.
“Chairs and benches are fine, but this table is something we can’t bring over even though we have one at home. It won’t fit in the car,” Li Yinhe said with a sigh.
“It’s okay. When we go home later, we’ll go around to that neighborhood and see if we can borrow a table from the property management for a couple of days,” Cui Xian said.
"That's a good idea! If it really doesn't work out, we'll pay the rent!"
"Okay, you guys check it out beforehand. If it really doesn't work, we'll think of something else," Shen Yanming said.
They didn't try to hide their conversation, so their colleagues overheard them.
Some people thought they were making a mountain out of a molehill, saying, "It's just a small reception, why go to such lengths? Isn't that troublesome enough?"
"Exactly, this is not something we should be doing in the first place. I don't know what the higher-ups were thinking, making us manage those people. Are those property management and community offices just sitting around doing nothing?"
Cui Xian, Yu Shui, and the others were a little embarrassed, but Shen Yanming smiled, patted them on the shoulder, and whispered, "It's okay, let's just do what we need to do and not think too much about it."
The group's expressions softened slightly, but they were still not very happy.
Seeing this, Shen Yanming said to them, "Go back first. We can chat online if anything comes up. Bring your own food on Monday, as we may not have time to eat lunch."
The group nodded, packed their things, and left.
Shen Yanming and Bi Qiaoan packed their things and prepared to go home, but as soon as they stepped out of the office, they were stopped by Ke Wenpei and a few others.
"Xiao Shen, we've gathered enough food. Shall we give it to you now?" Ke Wenpei asked in a low voice.
"Okay, Pei-ge, where did you put your things? Why didn't you bring them in?"
"How could I dare? I've already been caught skipping work by the boss. If I put this stuff in front of him, wouldn't that be like walking into the line of fire?" Ke Wenpei said he wouldn't dare, but Shen Yanming could hear the resentment in his tone.
However, Shen Yanming didn't say anything, only smiled and asked, "Business is good today?"
"Of course! We sold all the dried fruit we took out today, and the grain we got back was just enough to pay off the debt. After we pay you back, the rest will be pure profit!"
Ko Wen-pei's expression as he spoke could only be described as beaming with joy; it seemed that earning money and grain had boosted his confidence.
Shen Yanming didn't ask them what price they were selling at, but judging from the remaining dried fruit in the office, this guy was definitely selling at a higher price than Chen Shunwei and the others.
That was indeed the case. Ke Wenpei and his group wanted to double their profits, so they sold the goods at the price of six catties of grain per catty of dried fruit.
However, none of this mattered to Shen Yanming. He followed Ke Wenpei to a less frequently used staircase in the building.
The reason it's not used often is because this place is too remote. Even when there's electricity, it feels very eerie. What's more, now that there's no electricity and no lights, just the light from a few cell phone flashlights, the brightness and coverage are really limited.
There was a large pile of grain in the corner of the stairs. Ke Wenpei brought out an electronic scale. "Shall we check it?"
Shen Yanming didn't want to linger outside any longer, so he smiled and said, "No need. We're all colleagues. How could I not trust you?"
"Okay, we'll help you carry it to the car!" Ke Wenpei said, picking up the sacks of grain and walking towards the garage, with the others following closely behind.
After everything was moved, Ke Wenpei asked, "We don't have much dried fruit left. If we need more later..."
“Just contact my friend directly. He might come over this weekend. If you need anything, contact him as soon as possible.” With that, Shen Yanming gave Zeng Yiming’s phone number to Ke Wenpei.
"Yanming, thank you so much!" Ke Wenpei said gratefully.
"It's alright!" Shen Yanming said with a smile, "Then we'll head back first, and you should all go home early too."
After Shen Yanming left, Ke Wenpei called Zeng Yiming and ordered 500 jin of dried fruit from him.
Zeng Yiming agreed, but on the condition that he could not pay on credit and would only deliver the grain upon receipt of it.
"Can't even Shen Yanming act as guarantor?" Ke Wenpei asked.
"I'm sorry, we never extend credit. I gave Yanming those dried fruits because he saved my mother. It wasn't a transaction, it was a favor. How he handles them is his right."
Hopefully, you can distinguish between the two.
Ke Wenpei understood; the other party was warning him not to take Shen Yanming's favor for granted. Their relationship was merely a transaction, and perhaps, it was still an unfinished transaction.
So he could only nod in agreement, and then after hanging up the phone, he would discuss it with his partners.
Having tasted success in their sales this week, the group was blinded by the prospect of quick money. Without a second thought, they agreed, saying, "Brother Pei, it's alright. We'll each contribute four hundred jin and get the goods back first! With the goods, earning back the grain will be a piece of cake!"
“Yeah, Brother Pei, there’s still a sack of dried fruit in the office. If we run around for two days on Saturday and Sunday, we might be able to get most of the payment back.”
"Yes, yes, before we had to go to work, so we didn't have much time to go out and sell goods every day. If we could concentrate on it for two days, we might not even have enough dried fruit to sell!"
"Exactly! Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't even bother taking this job. The pay is so low, it's not even enough to buy food, and it's such a hassle!"
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